By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA — Life Continental Lager Beer, the brand that supports progress, has  again  rewarded 30 new entrepreneurs,  from South East zone with N250,000 each from the N7.5 million doled out for grabs by the management of Nigerian Breweries Plc. for the on-going Life Progress Booster Show.

Each of the lucky winners who were categorized budding entrepreneurs, was handed over his or her own cheque of   N250,000 during an event held at the Sweet Garden, GRA, Onitsha in Anambra state, penultimate weekend.

Flavour brand ambassador for Life Continental Beer, and Akinola Josiah Olufemi, Assistant Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, NB Plc presenting a cheque of N250, 000 to Chima Ruby, one of the lucky winners of the Life Progress Booster Show in Onitsha.

According to the company management, the Progress Booster show, an  entrepreneurial talent hunt and mentoring radio programme,  is  targeted at helping  innovative businessmen and women in the South-east, by  Life Continental Lager beer, one of the hottest brand of  NB Plc.

The company recalled that the journey into the rewards was kick-started in 2015, and ever since then, the brand has rewarded no fewer than 150 entrepreneurs from major cities of the South East zone, including Nnewi, Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Abakaliki and now Onitsha, with a whooping sun of N37.5 million  so far.

Assistant Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands NB Plc, Josiah Akinola who spoke on the initiative, noted that Life Progress Booster Show was aimed at nurturing and encouraging entrepreneurs from the South East, while also creating a platform for budding businessmen and women to present their proposals and transform their ideas into realities.

According to Akinola,   “The Life Progress Booster Show was initiated to raise more entrepreneurs and self-dependent individuals in South East Nigeria, adding, the average  South-Easterner is driven by business and commercial  opportunities, and the region is  highly regarded  as an excellent environment for businesses”.

He further declared: “Throughout the year, the Life Continental Beer brand has focused on empowering our consumers, and we have shown willingness and dedication to contribute to their successes and achievements”. He further disclosed that to make up the list of 30 winners, another 10 ideas were selected at the venue of the cheque presentation ceremony after an on-the-spot screening of proposals of participants, as was also the case in Onitsha.

He also stated that the Life Progress Booster radio programme being aired on Hot 99.5 FM, Owerri every Saturday 7:30 – 8:30pm; Odenigbo 99.1 FM, Obosi every Friday 7:30 – 8:30pm; Family Love 103.9 FM, Umuahia every Saturday 7:30 – 8:30 PM and Solid 100.9 FM, Enugu every Friday 7:30 – 8:30pm., also catapulted the booster into success as the radio programmes attracted many audience to the extent that people call in to pitch their business ideas from where the best 30 ideas were selected as winners.

Describing Life Continental Lager Beer as a fine quality lager beer from the stables of Nigerian Breweries Plc made from the choicest grains, hops and the purest of waters, Akinola explained that the brand was  expertly brewed to give that rich, crisp distinctive taste and well-rounded aroma in true quality fashion of the master brewers, adding,  “Life is better when shared and when it is shared, there is progress. This is what forms the core brand value of great-tasting Life Continental Beer, promoting and refreshing a life-long tradition of sharing a heritage of progress.”

Adding colour to the Onitsha event, sensational singer and Brand Ambassador to Life Continental Beer, Chinedu Okoli (a.k.a. Flavour), made a special guest appearance at the event to the delight of guests, just as other participants at the event were also not left out as many went home with consolation prizes such as bags of rice, gallons of vegetable oil, courtesy of Life Continental Beer.

Reacting over his victory, one of the lucky winners, Usulor Chibueze, said he was overwhelmed with joy when his name was mentioned as a winner, adding that he would use the money to expand his photocopying business at Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Cas Campus.

According to Usulor,  “I am already running the business with only one photocopying machine and a rickety generator but with this money, I shall buy more machines and electric generators to sustain the business”.

A bachelor who hailed from Ezzagu in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi state, Usulor further declare: “I am nursing the ambition to get admission into a university to study anatomy as soon as my business expands”.

He noted that although the N250,000 he won would not be enough to realize all his business aspirations and university admission proposals, but at least it would kick-start the business.

Also speaking, another winner, Mary Chinecherem Chukwu, a HND 2 computer science student of Akanu Ibiam Federal polytechnic, Uwana, Afikpo, also in Ebonyi state, a native of Okagwe Item in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, said she would use the money to establish a car wash industry at the Polytechnic campus.

According to Chukwu, “with the car wash business which I am into negotiations with the campus authorities to show me a piece of land and which they have agreed to do, I don’t need to look for a job after my studies and I want the promo to continue so that it will benefit more of our youths in becoming self employed, rather than roaming the streets seeking for job”.

She advised her co-winners and even future winners of a promo of this nature not to squander the money they won but to invest it wisely for their own benefit.